Cartridge-carrier.



G. M. SEIDEL.

CARTRIDGE CARRIER.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 21, 1915 1, 173, 125. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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G. M. SEIDEL.

CARTRIDGE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. 1915.

1,17 3,125, v Patented Feb. 22,1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTHELF MARTIN SEIDEL, 0F EASTI-IAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GLEN- DALE ELASTIC FABRICS COMPANY, OF EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CARTRIDGE-CARRIER.

Application filed September 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GoTTHnLr MARTIN SEIDEL, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing in Fasthampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to military equipment and more particularly to improved carriers for cartridges and the like.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, cartridges have been carried in pockets which either have been permanently attached to or formed integrally with a belt, bandoleer, or like device adapted to be carried by the soldier. The integrally formed pocket, made by a special process of tubular weaving, has been the most widely used of all forms of cartridge carriers and, while no criticism can be made as to the strength of pockets so formed, they are open to other objections.

Pockets formed integral with the belt by tubular weaving require special machinery of elaborate form, and thus such pockets are necessarily quite expensive. Moreover, these pockets are so woven as to fit the cartridges and, when the pockets are empty. they pucker and do not have a tendency to lie fiat against the belt. Thus, they occupy as much space when empty and protrude from the belt of the wearer as much as when they are filled, and the puckering in the pockets, incident to the tubular weave, produces a rather unsightly article. Furthermore. such pockets, being integral with the belt, are obviously not shiftable without shifting the belt. It is frequently desirable to move an empty pocket along the belt and bring a filled one into position for convenient accessibllity without moving the belt, which is physically impossible with the cartridge pockets above described. Another disadvantage incident to the integral formation of the pockets with the belt, as in tubular woven pockets, lies in that it is impossible to replace a damaged pocket independently of the rest, and the only remedy is to provide an entirely new outfit.

This invention is concerned with the elimination of the objectionable features above Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 52,887.

noted as well as the attainment of other new and useful results in cartridge carriers.

An object of this invention is to provide a cartridge carrier, comprising, a plurality of pockets, each adapted to receive a group of cartrldges, which is constructed and arranged for free sliding on and detachable engagement with a belt, bandoleer, or like supporting means, the construction being characterized by ease and convenient replacement of one carrier, which may be damaged, independently of the other unmjured carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cartridge carrier made up of a single strlp of material which is folded and stitched in a novel manner to produce a plurality of pockets, the whole being characterlaed by simple and substantial yet inexpens1ve construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cartridge carrier adapted for detachable sliding engagement with a belt or the like which is formed from a single strip of material by folding the strip back upon itself several times to produce as many pockets, by stitching certain edges of the folded portions together to close the side edges of the pockets, by carrying an extension of the material from the last pocket downwardly around the bottom of the pockets, then upwardly and securing it to the end of the strip adjacent the first body, and by thereafter carrying the strip over the top of the pockets and partially down the front thereof to form a flap cover for the pockets, all constructed and arranged to permit a belt or the like to be inserted between the pockets and the extension, and the latter adapted to aid in supporting the bottom of the pockets.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description to follow and in the anneXed claims.

Referring to the drawings as illustrating a preferred manner in which the invention may be applied-Fignre 1 is a side elevational view of the improved cartridge carrier, shown as detached from a belt; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the flap cover shown opened to reveal the pockets; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrative of appear.

the manner of making the carrier;v Fig. is an elevational view showing the application of the carriers to a belt; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form 5 Of the invention.

Referring to these drawings in detail: the cartridge carrier shown in Fig. l is formed frcm a single strip of suitable material, pre erably a single shuttle weave cloth, by the simple operations of folding and stitching.

The manner of folding the strip is best shown in and will be described with particular reference to Fig. 3. tarting with one end 1 of the strip, the latter is carried downwardly and folded back and forth upon itself several times according to the number of pockets to be formed in the carrier. T he bottom folds 2 form the bottoms of the pcckets, and the top folds 3 form 0 partitions between the pockets as will be 5 edges are stitched together in a novel manner which is designed to give a maximum strength to the side closures for the pockets 5 with a minimum of stitches. A row 6 of stitches is applied on either side of the a folded portions at a short distance from the edges thereof. These stitches are not carried entirely to the top of the portions to be fastened together but are stopped at a definite distance from the top for a reason later to At the top of the stitches 6 a reinforcement is provided by spaced transversely arranged stitches 7 which extend to the edges of the portions to be joined and by a short vertical row 8 of stitches which connect the 0 rows 7. After the stitching operations, the

a at 9, and upwardly as at 10 in back of the first pocket 5. This extension 10 is secured to the end 1 of the strip at 11 (see Fig.- 1) and thereafter the remainder of the strip is carried over the top of the pockets to form a flap cover 12. A suitable snapfastener 13 is fastened to the flap 12, which is adapted to engage with either of the snap members 1 1 on the portion 9 of the carrier, according to whether the pockets 5 are filled or empty.

From the manner of forming the carrier pockets just described, it will be seen that the normal tendency is for the pockets to lie flat which is a desirable quality for the reasons heretofore pointed out. However,

3 these pockets are readily extensible to receive a clip of cartridges. such as shown conventionally at 15 in Fig. 1. By reason of the fact that the stitches 6 are-stopped at a distance from the top, the pockets may be dis 5 tended as the unstitched folded. portions are arranged to be drawn out horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4, to permit separation of the individual pockets 5. In Figs. 2 and 4L, the pockets 5 are shown extended simply for illustrative purposes as they are not normally so extended except by the insertion of a group of cartridges therein. These carriers are arranged to be placed on a belt 17 or a bandoleer or the like in any suitable number or arrangement as shown in Fig. 5. They are not fastened to the belt, but the latter is simply inserted loosely between the portion 10 and the first pocket 5. as shown in Fig. 6 or in the space 16 in Fig. 1. It is to be particularly noted that the space 16 is entirely free of obstructions and presents a clear passage for free sliding of the belt therethrough. If it is desirable for any reason, the belt may be placed in the space between the portion 9 and the last pocket of the series.

The use of an integral strip extension from the pockets 5 which is carried entirely around threesides of the pockets and se cured to the end 1 of the pocket forming strip as described, adds not only to the appearance of the finished carrier but serves an important part in supporting the lower edges '2 of the pockets and in holding the pockets in closely adjacent relation. lVhcn the pockets 5 are not filled, the fastener 1-3 is applied to the lower member 14 whereby the pCckets 5 are brought close together and lie flat against the belt 17. The use of this strip also permits attachment of other carriers to a carrier on the belt 17, either above or below, as shown in Fig. 6 where a carrier 19 is secured to a carrier 18 on the belt 17 by attaching the two portions 10 together at 21.

It will be evident that the pocket structure described is very simple to manufacture it involves only the folding and stitching of a single strip of cloth. In consequence, it is inexpensive to make as against the woven pockets integrally formed with the belt. T he side closures of the pockets are formed simply by stitching and then with a minimum number of stitches applied in a novel and advantageous Way to secure the greatest strength. There are no inserts or gussets as are usually provided in such folded pockets to form side closures and permit extension and contraction of the pockets, but such movements are provided by simple means, viz., the peculiar manner of stitching portions of the folded pockets to permit separation one from the other. The integral strip surrounding the pockets adds strength and gives the carrier a finished appearance. In addition, it permits attachment of other carriers thereto whereby the carrying capacity of the belt may be increased as desired by means of this flexible arrangement. I r I It is recognized that various modifications may be made in the structure heretofore described for illustrative purposes without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing illustrative description.

What I claim is 1. A cartridge carrier adapted for detachable engagement with a suitable belt, comprising, a series of cartridge holding pockets formed by successively folding a strip of material back and forth upon itself and thereafter stitching alternate folded portions along the side edges thereof, an integral portion of said strip extending from the outer edge of one pocket around all of the pockets and secured to the end of the pocket forming strip and arranged to envelop and support the pockets, an integral flap extension of said strip arranged to extend over the tops of all the pockets and detachable means to secure the flap to the pockets, said portion and pockets constructed and arranged to permit the free insertion of a belt therebetween.

2. A cartridge carrier adapted to be detachably mounted on a suitable belt or the like, formed from a single continuous strip of material folded successively back and forth upon itself and having alternate adjacent folded portions stitched together,

along each edge, whereby a plurality of pockets open at the top are formed, the remainder of said strip being carried from the last pocket downwardly around the group of pockets and brought upwardly to the first formed pocket and secured thereto,

the portion of the strip then remaining arranged to be carried over the tops of the pockets to form a flap cover for the carrier, and means to detachably secure said cover to the carrier in various positions of ad justment, all constructed and arranged so that a belt or the like may be freely inserted between either side of the group of pockets and the portion of the strip surrounding said group of pockets.

3. A cartridge carrier, comprising a plurality of pockets each formed by folding a portion of a strip of material backwardly upon itself so that the length of the fold determines the depth of the pocket and in thereafter stitching said folded portions, on each side at a distance from the edges, from the bottom of the folded portion to a point adjacent the top, the succeeding pockets being formed from the same strip in a like manner, whereby a connected series of pockets are formed each adapted to receive a group of cartridges, an envelop for the group of pockets formed by bringing the remainder of the strip from the last pocket formed downwardly to embrace the group of pockets, then upwardly and securing it to the first formed pocket, said embracing strip arranged to loosely engage the group of pockets, whereby a belt may be freely inserted between the strip and either side of the group of pockets, a flap cover for the pockets formed by the remainder of the strip and extending over the top of the pockets and partially down the front thereof, and means to detachably secure the flap to the carrier.

GOTTHELF MARTIN SEIDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

